Further Traditions Concerning the Order and Place Revelation of the
chapters
The tradition of Ibn 'Abbas mentions one hundred and thirteen chapters,
the chapter "al-Fatihah" not being counted among them. There is another
saying, related by al-bayhaqi from 'ikrimah, 1
which enumerates one hundred
and eleven chapters, the three chapters "al-Fatihah," "The Heights," and
"Counsel" not being mentioned. When al-Bayhaqi relates this same tradition
from Ibn 'Abbas it includes all one hundred and fourteen chapters. The
tradition of al-Bayhaqi reckons "The Defrauders" as one of the Medinan
chapters in opposition to the other traditions which count it as Meccan.
The order mentioned in these two traditions for both the Meccan and Medinan
chapters is different from that of other traditions.
another tradition, related from 'ali ibn abi talhah, 2 says: The chapter
"The Cow" was revealed in Medina and "The Family of 'Imran," "Women," "The
Table Spread," "Spirits of War," "Repentance," "The Pilgrimage," "Light,"
"the Clans," "Those Who Deny," "Victory," "Iron," "She That Disputes,"
"Exile," "She That Is To Be Examined," "The Helpers of Allah (The Ranks),"
"Mutual Disillusion," "O Prophet if you divorce women," "O Prophet why
do you ban," "The Dawn," "The Night," "We have revealed it in the night
of power," "The Clear Proof," "When the earth shakes," "When the help of
allah comes," and the rest of the chapters were revealed in mecca.
The intention of the tradition seems only to establish the difference
between the Medinan and Meccan chapters and to define the order of revelation
of the chapters mentioned. The chapters "Table Spread" and "Repentance"
are, without doubt, later in revelation than that indicated in this tradition.
Moreover, chapters "The Dawn," "The Night," and "The Night of Power," are
counted as Medinan chapters, whereas the above tradition counts them as
Meccan. Likewise, "The Thunder," "The Beneficent," "Man," "The Congregation,"
"The Private Apartments" are considered as Meccan, where- as in the above
tradition they are counted as medinan.
in another tradition related by qatadah, 3 "The Cow," "The Family of 'Imran,"
"Women," "The Table Spread," "Immunity," "The Thunder," "The Bee," "The
Pilgrim- age," "The Light," "The Clans," "Muhammad," "Victory," "The Private
Apartments," "Iron," "The Beneficent," "She that disputes," "Exile," "She
that is to be Examined," "The Ranks," "The Congregation," "The Hypocrites,"
"Mutual Disillusion," "Divorce," the first thirteen verses of "O You Prophet!
Why do you ban," "When the earth Shakes" and "When the help of Allah comes,"
were revealed in Medina and the rest in Mecca. This tradition is contrary
to the previous traditions and, in particular, with regard to the mention
of "the defrauders," "man," and "the clear proof."
This tradition is, however, unacceptable according to the Science of
traditions, being disconnected from direct transmission from the Prophet.
It is also unclear whether Ibn 'Abbas learned of the order of revelation
from the Prophet himself or from some other unidentified person, or arrived
at it by subjective decision.
If the latter is the case, it has no value or authenticity but for himself.
It has also no value historically, as Ibn 'Abbas did not have close contact
with the Prophet. It is obvious that he could not have been present nor
a witness to the revelation of all these chapters. Even if we suppose the
tradition to be true, it is still not totally acceptable in matters outside
the law of the shari'ah.
The only way to discover the true order of the chapters, and whether
they are Meccan or Medinan, is to examine the content of the chapters and
to compare them with the circumstances and social reality before and after
the migration. Such a method is effective in certain cases; the content
of chapters "Man," "The Coursers," and the "Defrauders" testify to their
being Medinan, although some of these traditions only establish them as
meccan.
1 Al-Suyuti,
al-itqan, vol.1, p.10.
2 al-suyuti, ibid.
3 al-suyuti, ibid., vol.1, p.11.